Syria is getting a heads up on U.S.-led airstrikes against Islamic terrorists in Syria, though the information is not coming directly from the Obama administration, Syria’s leader said Tuesday.
President Bashar Assad is getting information in advance of the strikes against the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) from other countries, including Iraq, he said in an interview with the BBC.
{mosads}“There’s no direction cooperation,” Assad said, referring to the U.S. and Syrian governments. “We knew about the campaign before it started, but we didn’t know about the details.”
Assad said Syria receives general information on airstrikes from “more than one third party.” He mentioned Iraq, and said the no “tactical” information is conveyed.
“There’s no dialogue, there’s — let’s say, information — but there’s no dialogue,” Assad said.
White House press secretary Josh Earnest acknowledged Tuesday that the U.S. had told the Syrian government airstrikes were coming, but had not and would not coordinate over where the strikes took place.
Earnest did not say if there had been additional contact with Damascus, but insisted there is “no coordination as it relates to the specific details of our military operations in Syria.”
“What was made clear in that communication is that it’s the responsibility of the Syrian government, to put it bluntly, to stay out of the way,” Earnest said.
Though the Obama administration has pushed for Assad to be overthrown, Syria and the U.S. are both fighting ISIS with airstrikes.
Iraqi officials have also shared information on the U.S.-led airstrikes with Iran, an Assad ally, according to Reuters.
Obama administration officials have said they would not coordinate against ISIS with Iran or Syria.
This story was updated at 2:16 p.m.
Justin Sink contributed.